Visa lets New York commuters pay for their fares with mobile phones

Participants in a new pilot programme can pay for their travel on the Lexington Avenue subway line in New York, on the New Jersey Path system and multiple bus lines in New York and New Jersey with a contactless Visa card or an NFC-enabled mobile phone.

NEW YORK: Subway riders will soon be testing NFC payments on the Lexington Avenue line

In the New York area, a new pilot project will also see participants being able to use a mobile phone equipped with DeviceFidelity’s In2Pay microSD format NFC device to pay for fares at 28 stops along the Lexington Avenue subway line in Manhattan, on the New Jersey Path system and on multiple bus lines in New York City and northern New Jersey.

“Transit agencies the world over have one primary goal — to get their customers to where they need to go quickly and efficiently,” says Jim McCarthy, Visa’s global head of product. “For commuters, paying with Visa means no more fumbling for change or worrying about lost transit cards. For transit authorities, accepting Visa means better customer service, integrated collections and the potential for increased ridership.”